Harry Potter and the Path of Life
by Xuqra
Summary: [PostHBP] Harry has just arrived at the Burrow before the wedding and is preparing to leave in search of the Horcruxe Drama, Pain, Loss, Hope, and Love ensue. Follow Harry's journey to defeating Tom Riddle. HG and RH ships.
1. The Arrival

Harry shook awake, with his scar hurting, he could barely see the clock on the nightstand. Six thirty in the morning, but it wasn't the time that was bothering him; he knew that in a today he would be going to the Weasley's. Only two days until Bill and Fluer's wedding and then a little over two weeks before his birthday, and then he would be leaving them all. Although, as he sat up in bed that morning rubbing his scar, it wasn't the search for the Horcruxes that was bothering him; he would be seeing Ginny for the first time since they had broken up.

He knew that he shouldn't have done it; and more so that thinking about it right now was only making it worse. She had to remain safe, and he was determined to prevent the news of her importance to him safe. Yet even in the back of his mind he knew there was something wrong with this plan, he couldn't put his finger on what he was missing but he knew for certain that somehow she was still in danger.

Once finished dressing he noticed the letter sitting on the desk, Hedwig his owl was asleep in her cage but the letter was unopened. The oddity of this letter on the desk became the highest interest for Harry as he moved towards it. Picking it up he read, in fine letters that he recognized as his former headmaster's, his full name stated on the front. On the back was the wax seal of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry; in seconds the seal was broken and the letter pulled from within. Harry read over the letter to himself quietly before setting it down on the desk and returning to the bed.

_Dear Harry,_

_ I know that you are currently at your relative's home, and will be leaving soon as  
I had previously instructed Fawks to give this letter to you precisely then. When you  
are picked up today you will be taken first to Hogwarts where you will need to speak  
to, dare I say, headmistress McGonagall. After that you are welcome to go where  
ever you like, but I am sure that a certain young red-head would be very   
disappointed if you did not atleast visit her before you disappeared._

_ Remember Harry, it is your ability to love that separates you from Tom Riddle and  
you should use that to your advantage._

_Sincerely,  
Albus Dumbledore_

The letter had been correct, as not two hours later Harry stood in the opening to the fireplace of the new Headmistresses' Room. Though rather unchanged from the way that it was in light of Dumbledore's death it was not the same, knowing that he would never return. McGonagall stood from her chair as Harry and Lupin stepped forward from the fireplace, gesturing for them to sit.

"Potter," she began, "still not going to tell me what your discussions with Albus were about." Harry merely shook his head, but even that little motion made his insides churn.

"Minerva, we need to move along quickly. Ms. Weasley will be very upset if we're not back quickly." Lupin said with a mild grin, which Harry caught as he listen to what he had said. Harry couldn't help but question if he had confused Ginny for Mrs. Weasley, but before he could ponder it more McGonagall stood up.

"Very well, let us be done with this quickly. Dumbledore left you a few things when he died, and since we didn't feel the need to risk," but at this point she was interrupted.

"Didn't feel the need to risk me being out in public?" Harry hastily spat out, McGonagall and Lupin looked at him with concern.

"Its for your own good Harry," Lupin tried to calm him.

"I'll be seventeen soon, and I'll decide what is for my own good. Thank you very much." His temper was flaring but it wasn't all, several of the papers around the room had begun to shift around.

McGonagall eyed him wearily, expecting him to burst at any moment, but continued when he said nothing more. "Albus left you this box and this," she stood pulling out a bowl like dish from a cupboard. Harry nodded slightly and picked up the bowl and box before saying anything walking to the fireplace again.

Before he threw the green powder into the fire he turned to McGonagall and said, "Thank you for teaching everything you could, and when I go please do not search for me." With that he threw the powder into the flames and yelled out 'the burrow.'

-----

He arrived with a thump almost dropping the box he held in his arms, "still not used to the floo?" giggled the most beautiful girl he had ever seen from her chair at the table.

"Just when I'm carrying packages I think, but its nothing like apparating. Devilish that is, still prefer broom travel." Harry replied setting the two items onto the table and dusting himself off. Ginny had become very interested in the bowl but looked away when he glanced at her, she was blushing again. "It's Dumbledore's pensive if you must know; he left it to me apparently. Maybe I'll get a good use out of it, got a lot on my mind before I lea…"

She was staring at him, "you're going to leave us?"

It was then that Ron had entered the room, "Ah Harry! I thought you weren't going to come. Hermione's already started a letter to you; I should go tell her that you're here. It's almost like she doesn't want to miss out on the action more than me." Just as he had entered he was gone, then Ginny and Harry were once again left to themselves.

"Ron and Hermione are going aren't they?" Harry could only nod, she wasn't supposed to find out like this. She broke his defenses so easily and yet she didn't take advantage of them. "Are you going to tell me what this is about? Just because I'm not your," she paused before looking away and continueing, "girlfriend doesn't mean I don't care about you. Infact, I just want to make sure that you get all the help you can so when you return from where ever it is, you'll still be able to hold me tight."

They sat there in an awkward silence until they heard a cough from the doorway, "What are you two doing, why haven't you kissed her yet?" Harry forgot that no one had told Ron that he and Ginny had broken up. Ginny was just about to get up and leave when Harry's hand instinctively reached out and caught her's. When she looked back at him a single tear was running down her face and she pulled away and walked up the stairs. "Bloody hell, did you two break up? You were right perfect for each other mate," Ron looked bewildered at what was happening in front of him.

"You can't honestly think that because she's the one I love I can be with her when Voldemort might find out about her?" Harry sighed running a hand through his hair.

"Love her? I just thought you two were dating. Bloody hell, I really am out of the loop. And whatcha mean You-Know-Who finding out?"

"Ronald!" Hermione had finally entered the room; she rushed over and gave Harry a hug before turning back on Ron, "he means that she'll be a target if Voldemort finds out about how much he cares about her."

"Well that's bullocks," Ron cried, "You-Know-Who is going to know soon enough that you've been dating. After all, it was in the papers plus I'm sure that bloody bastard Snape was keeping an extra careful eye on you last term." Then it clicked in Harry's head; he had forgotten about Snape and Malfoy returning to Voldemort, surely he would already know the situation and Ginny was already in trouble.

"Well at least she'll be safer here with her family."

"Bullocks on that too,"

"Ronald watch your language."

"I'm just saying, the safest place for her would be with you Harry. I mean Dumbledore was always talking about how Love was the most powerful thing you know. I'm just glad that you'll be with us Hermione." The second awkward silence of the day had fallen over the Weasley kitchen.

----

A/N: meant to have someone check this over for spelling and detail mistakes, but I got lazy. So there you go, chapter one. Hopefully you all liked it and will review it, but if not that's cool I've just got to write this shit anyway to get it out of my head. Though I would love responses to later stuff about the Horcruxes.


	2. What you want

Harry sighed; he had thought that he would have had horrible dreams like usual but his still tired eyes were from a different source. He had been up late thinking about what Ron had said about Snape and Malfoy, they knew of his little passionate encounters with Ginny. How much could they have known?

Though this was still on his mind in the morning, a very early morning apparently as Mrs. Weasley had woken them up around eight in the morning; it was his dream that was making him sigh. He had dreamt of his mission, but not in a bad way; the thing that struck him the most odd was that Ginny had been with him. Harry shook his head and tried to clear his mind as Ron stirred in his bed finally waking up.

Harry and Ron dressed for the day they were going to Diagon Alley for robe fitting. Ron and Ginny were going to be in the wedding but Harry and Hermione were just going to be accompanying them to the shops. When they were preparing to depart he had expected members of the order to show up and escort them but no one did, and when Mrs. Weasley pushed them towards the fire finally Harry looked at her quizzically.

"Floo to Fred and George's shop, Tonks will meet you there."

"Alright, thank you Mrs. Weasley."

"You're of age now dear, you should call me Molly."

Harry look perplexed as Ron and Hermione flooed away, then turned and said, "I'd rather call you mum, if that's okay?" he wasn't looking at Mrs. Weasley though, he was starring straight into the eyes of the youngest Weasley.

"I would love that dear, now hurry on and don't be late. I expect you back here by one." Harry and Ginny nodded, and Harry motioned for her to go first. As she flooed to the shop Harry turned around and gave Mrs. Weasley a hug and a kiss on the cheek, it was a bit awkward but she was smiling widely when he pulled back. He grinned as he disappeared into the fire place.

Diagon Alley was just as deserted as it was the last time they had come the previous summer, but this time there were even more shops that were closed. Tonks had greeted him in a familiar was and they were off to Gringotts Bank for Hermione and Harry to access some money.

"We'll have to make another stop here before we go," Harry said earnestly to Hermione. Ginny looked at him nervously for a moment and walked away with Tonks to talk about something.

Hermione looked at him for a moment before deciding to say anything, "You have to tell her something. She already knows we're leaving and it's killing her that you haven't told her anything about it."

Harry sighed again, "I know. I'll talk to her tonight."

Hermione was still looking at him nervously, "and I think you should reconsider."

"Reconsider what?" but he knew exactly what she was talking about and he didn't want to talk about it right now.

"That's bloody bullocks," Ron said picking up his pace and joining his sister talking to Tonks as they made their ways into Madam Milkin's. Hermione and Harry just stood at the entrance starring intently at each other for long moments in silence.

"I want to," he dropped his gaze looking deplorable and miserable, "I just don't want her to think that I can keep her safe."

"But you can, you're the only one who can." Hermione was evidently gazing off into the distance as her voice quivered.

"I can't, I couldn't save Sirius and I couldn't save Dumbledore." Harry heard Hermione gasp as he said this but he couldn't look up at her, "I'm not meant to save any one. I'm just meant to kill him."

"You- you can't be seriously thinking like that? Harry," she said sternly now desperately trying to make him look up, "LOOK AT ME." She had nearly shouted at him and finally he looked at her, "none of that was your fault. They all made those choices themselves and you should let her make her own decision. Maybe she'll choose to stay behind but at least she'll have chosen, but she loves you and you love her and that's what you need to tell her.

"I know. It's just hard."

They spent the rest of the day looking at books and other stuff that Hermione and Harry had determined might be good to look at before they left. Tonks was fairly unaware of what was going on, thinking that perhaps they wanted to get some extra studying in during the summer before returning for the fall term. Harry had bought several items for them and they had even made a stop at the Quidditch Supplies shop; it had occurred to him then that maybe this was where he should purchase Ginny's birthday present after all if she didn't come with them, he wouldn't be there for her it.

When they got back to The Burrow, Mrs. Weasley had lunch prepared for them and chores after that. It was around eight in the evening when Harry was finally able to get some time to think again, but Hermione kept giving him fervent glances indicating he should go talk to Ginny.

She looked at him when she mentioned that she was going to head up to get some sleep, and it was then that Harry figured it would be his last chance to talk to her before tomorrow. He looked at Hermione and said, "I think I am going to retire too." She simply nodded and as he headed up the stairs; he stopped on the floor where Hermione and Ginny slept and knocked on the door.

"I'm almost done changing Hermione," a muffled voice from inside the room came. A few seconds later an okay came through and Harry turned the door knob, when he saw that Ginny was standing there just in her night gown he quickly turned. Ginny only emitted a small gasp and then giggled, "Its okay Harry. I'm in bed now."

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you," he said turning back into the room and carefully glancing at the form that was lying in bed.

"Quite alright Harry," she said curtly almost as if she remembered that she wasn't supposed to be happy to see him anymore.

"I need to talk to you about-" but he was cut off.

"Bloody right you need to talk to me," she grinned at the shocked look on his face.

He grinned slightly too, her smile was infectious and soon he was grinning. He walked over to her bed and sat on the edge as he began, "I want to tell you where we're going. I need to tell you how I feel, and I need to know what you want to do."

Her grin was gone now, "I want to go with you."

He smiled coyly, "hear me out first dear."

It took until nearly one in the morning for him to finish all that he had to say and when he finished all she said was, "I want to come with you."


End file.
